karen divine

a small amount of courage

As an artist, tapping into your own creative spirit is, first and foremost, a matter of developing awareness. This inner awareness allows you to quiet the senses and allows the unconscious to reveal rich imagery.

1. Creative (The Room)
The room was a gift, perhaps from the artist herself,
but that was not important. What’s important is that my mind exploded
with stories just waiting to appear.
It was a beginning.

As Rainer Maria Rilke expressed so beautifully in Letters to a Young Poet, “Describe your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind and your belief in some kind of beauty – describe these with heartfelt, silent, humble sincerity and, when you express yourself, use the things around you, the images from your dreams, and the objects that you remember.” It requires a small amount of courage to reveal such intimacy.

49. CHANGING
(A SMALL AMOUNT OF COURAGE)
The story begins with great loss and chaos on one end of the spectrum
and consistent success flowing from the other. LIFE PRESENTS EXTREMES
WITH NO SENSE OF GROUNDING. How do you STAY IN THE MIDDLE without becoming flat?
You want to feel deeply, but tragedy thrusts you into and unknown world – nothing is the same.
There are no accidents. Pay attention: LIFE HANDS YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO GROW.
The experience of loss is a mirror, A GIFT that allows you to DIG DEEPER INTO YOUR SOUL,
deeper INTO your relationship with YOUR OWN LIFE.

There are many tools one can use for self-realization, the kind where you discover your own relationship to the universe, both external and internal. Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness can guide you to experience this awareness. Techniques that enable you to quiet your mind and detach from your thoughts become a training ground toward freedom—a place to discover intuition, synchronicity, and a connectedness to life.

33. RETREAT
(VEIL OF ILLUSION)
When we finally
lift the veil
of illusion
that obscures
TRUTH,
we see
there was
NOTHING TO FEAR.
Once the illusion
has been revealed,
we emerge,
FREE

I believe imagery is the language of the soul, and when it’s allowed to flow from your intuition, it will reveal profound insights. It taps into a deep spiritual truth. Once you know this place, you can tap into it at any time and use your creative process as a space for pure acceptance.

25. INNOCENCE
(MEASURING FLOWERS)
We encounter some flowers in full bloom,
rich with colours and smells that embrace.
Others are smaller and more approachable,
yet they’re quietly overlooked.
What is the tool by which we measure – lines,
rulers, numbers, the space between petals,
or perhaps the timing of an opening?
How do we measure the significance
of absolute beauty?

– Karen Divine

The images above are from Karen’s exquisite new book A Small Amount of Courage.
All the images were shot and manipulated on the iPhone.

I’ve always worked intuitively, meditatively, and with this book, have linked the images and discoveries with the iChing, which I have read for years. It’s art therapy for my soul.